Longford Roscommon Little Blue Hero Zoe Cryan: Little Blue Heroes community is very special

Weighing just 540g when she was born, Zoe Cryan is a cerebral palsy warrior who spent her first 12 months in hospital and is one of just 408 Honorary Gardaí across the country.

She earned the title through the Little Blue Heroes Foundation, which is a not-for-profit charity helping support families of children with serious illnesses.

Children named Honorary Gardaí are issued their own Garda uniform and are welcomed into the force by their local Gardaí, helping to empower them and involve them in the community.

To date, the charity has assisted 760 families with over €1,000,000 in aid bestowed since its inception in 2017.

Zoe, whose mum Siobhán describes her as "a strong, clever little girl" has been involved with the charity almost since day one and loves it.

"It's about acceptance and seeing others like her, seeing little girls and other wheelchair users. It really does help and helps her see 'It's not just me'," Siobhán says.

"We're really lucky Zoe's in a mainstream school here in Roscommon outside Castlerea. She's the only one in a wheelchair but she's very confident and happy out and a really content little lady. It's really important that they do see there are other kids out there just like them and that it's no big deal."

She continues: "When we lived in Dublin, Zoe went to Scoil Mochua, it's part of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC). Her old boyfriend, as she calls him, was in Little Blue Heroes too so at events she always sees him again and it just makes her day.

"It's just gorgeous seeing them back together and to see that friendship still there. They mind each other, it's brilliant."

The Little Blue Heroes community is also important for Siobhán and her husband, David.

Siobhán says, "You meet other parents and even though everyone is on a different road and there are loads of different diagnoses and different challenges, you're all kind of the same. Even though the diagnoses are different, it's lovely to meet people that get it."

Zoe, who used to be PEG fed, received life-changing treatment in the United States to improve her daily life, with terrific results.

Siobhán says, "We were so blessed to discover it. She's eating and drinking and chatting non-stop now."

Zoe and her older brother Dylan are now looking forward to Christmas, and Zoe hopes to get a robot dog from Santa despite having two real dogs at home.

"She's very excited," Siobhán says, "I keep saying 'Why are we getting a robot one?' and she says 'I can train this one!' She loves that."

Caption: Zoe Cryan with her mum Siobhán, dad Dave and brother Dylan